GOSPEL READING:
John 20:19-3119 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Meditation: Do you know the joy of the resurrection? The
Risen Lord Jesus revealed the glory of his resurrection to his
disciples gradually and over a period of time. Even after the
apostles saw the empty tomb and heard the reports of Jesus'
appearance to the women, they were still weak in faith and fearful
of being arrested by the Jewish authorities. When Jesus appeared
to them he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the
wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their
fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners
and makes us friends of God.
Live and proclaim the Gospel of mercy in the power of the
Holy Spirit
Jesus did something which only love and trust can do. He
commissioned his weak and timid apostles to bring the good news of
the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This sending out of the
disciples is parallel to the sending out of Jesus by his heavenly
Father. Jesus fulfilled his mission through his perfect love and
obedience to the will of his Father. He called his first disciples
and he now calls each one of us to do the same. Just as he
gave his first disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit, so he
breathes on each of us the same Holy Spirit who equips us with new
life, power, joy, and courage to live each day as followers of the
Risen Lord.
The last apostle to meet the resurrected Lord was the first to go
with him to Jerusalem at Passover time. The apostle Thomas was a
natural pessimist. When Jesus proposed that they visit Lazarus
after receiving news of his illness, Thomas said to the disciples:
"Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11:16).
While Thomas deeply loved the Lord, he lacked the courage to stand
with Jesus in his passion and crucifixion. After Jesus' death,
Thomas made the mistake of withdrawing from the other apostles. He
sought loneliness rather than fellowship in his time of trial and
adversity. He doubted the women who saw the resurrected Jesus and
he doubted his own fellow apostles.
Through the gift of faith we recognize the Risen Lord and
receive new life
When Thomas finally had the courage to rejoin the other apostles,
the Lord Jesus made his presence known to him and reassured him
that he had indeed overcome death and risen again. When Thomas
recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was
truly Lord and truly God! Through the gift of faith we, too,
proclaim that Jesus is our personal Lord and our God. He died and
rose that we, too, might have new life in him. The Lord offers
each of us new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him
personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of
his resurrection. Do you believe in the good news of the Gospel
and in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring you new life, hope,
and joy?
Lord Jesus Christ, through your victory over sin and death you have overcome all the powers of sin and darkness. Help me to draw near to you and to trust in your life-giving word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and strengthen my faith in your promises and my hope in the power of your resurrection.
Psalm 118:1-4, 13-15, 23-24
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
15 Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Touching the Flesh, He Invokes the Word, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"But when Jesus showed Thomas the very places where he had his
doubts, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." He touched his
flesh, he proclaimed his divinity. What did he touch? The body of
Christ. Was the body of Christ the divinity of Christ? The
divinity of Christ was the Word; the humanity of Christ was soul
and flesh. Thomas could not touch the soul, but he could perceive
it, because the body that had been dead was moving about alive.
But that Word is subject neither to change nor to contact, it
neither regresses nor progresses, neither fails nor flourishes,
because in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. That is what Thomas proclaimed.
He touched the flesh, he invoked the Word, because the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us." (excerpt
from Sermon 145A)
